Since 1929, we're the Papaya People!

The papaya does not get the credit
it deserves. When you think of eating
a piece of fruit you probably think
of a banana, apple, grapes or an orange.
All of these are wonderful fruits,
but most of them don't have all of
the
benefits of eating a papaya. In the
tropics, where Papaya is grown, it
is referred to as the "medicine tree" or "melon
of health". Papaya's are filled with
nutrients. In fact, a single serving
of papaya has 150 percent of your daily
allowance of Vitamin C, one of the
most effective antioxidants in blocking
LDL oxidation. It's also associated
with high levels of HDL (good) cholesterol.
Papayas are a great source of beta-carotene,
an important antioxidant that helps
fight free radicals, the beginning
of disease. Papayas also supply about
2 percent of your RDA for iron, and
4 percent of your daily calcium allowance.
It's also an excellent source of Vitamin
A, Vitamin E, Folic Acid, Potassium,
Copper, Phosphorus, Iron and Fiber.

Papayas are one of the healthiest fresh fruits. The nutritional scoreboard was
developed by the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a consumer-watchdog agency
headquartered in Washington, D.C. In its "Fantastic Fruit" ratings for fresh fruits, papaya
was impressively ranked in the Top 5 with guava, watermelon, grapefruit and kiwifruit well
ahead of traditionally thought of healthy fruits as orange, apple, and banana. The score for
each fruit is gotten by adding up its percent of the Daily Value for six key nutrients:
vitamin C, folate, potassium, iron, calcium, and fiber plus carotenoids.

Papayas are rich in enzymes that stimulate stomach secretions and aid
digestion. They contain protein-digesting enzymes including papain and chymopapain.

Papayas are low in fat and are a good source of fiber, which has been shown to
lower high cholesterol levels. Papayas are an excellent source of Vitamins C and E and
beta-carotene, three strong antioxidants. These nutrients help prevent the oxidation of
cholesterol that may damage the blood vessel walls and eventually cause heart attack or
stroke.